Eller Chronicles Aug 91 TOC

The Eller Chronicles


Vol. VI NO 1.THE ELLER FAMILY ASSOCIATIONFEB 1992



CONTENTS

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENTi-iv
GENEALOGY: DESCENDANTS OF JACOB ELLER, THE IMMIGRANT-Ora Kepner Ewing1-4
GENEALOGY: HENRY ELLER (1887-1974), AN IMMIGRANT-Hilda Eller McNabb 5-13
GENEALOGY: QUERIES 14-16, 24-25
GENEALOGY: ELLERS IN THE NEWS 16, 23
GENEALOGY: NECROLOGY 16-17
GENEALOGY: TIPS & GENERAL INFORMATION 18
GENEALOGY: FOR RESEARCHERS 19-21
GENEALOGY: Family Group Sheets . . Elise P. Kidd 22
GENEALOGY: Ancestral Charts . . Lucile S. Herrington 26-27
GENEALOGY: Ancestral Charts . . Phyllis T. Johnson 28-29
Update of Ship Passenger & Immigration Lists - Clarice V. Stanley 30-31
Letter from Dr. Rose Eller of Austria 32
Ellers in the Musical Group: Alabama32-33
Greetings and Pictures from Georg Eller of Germany 33
An Eller at President Lincoln's Funeral 34
Biffle and Henckel Family Associations35-36, 38-39
The Closson Story 37-38
Biosketch of Dr. Robert Duane Cowan 40-42
FAMILY HISTORY: Ellers of Iowa and Nebraska - Presented at Conf. '91 ... Myrrel Baldwin 43-48
FAMILY HISTORY: Behind Enemy Lines, Ltr. and Introduction to Bushwhackers in Civil War. .Byron Eller 49-53
FAMILY HISTORY: The James Eller Family and the Bushwhackers of Wilkes County N.C., 1864-1865,- Paul E. Hubbel 54-65
FAMILY HISTORY: Mr. and Mrs. James Eller - From N. C. Baptist Records. . . Rev. & Mrs. Geo. Reeves 65-66
FAMILY HISTORY: The Nebraska Ellers. . A. W. Eller 67-69
EFA's SPECIAL SERVICE Award 70

FROM YOUR EDITORS

With this issue we begin the sixth year of the Eller Chronicles. A glance at the SUBJECT INDEX in the Feb 1992 Special Edition reminds us of the great range and diversity of Eller genealogy and family history that has been shared by so many people since the first issue in Nov. 1987.

Since we received so much positive feed-back from our readers, we assume most members are pleased with the publication. We have received no suggestions for change or improvements. However, we do rack our grains trying to come up with ways to improve on our product, especially as we begin Vol. VI.

Some new changes are evident in this issue. Each page now carries a header along with the page number. Italics, super scripts and underlining are now possible after upgrading our computer,. Superscripts are small so one must look: carefully for them.

A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE ELLER CHRONICLES: When compared with the cost of most genealogical journals, the more than 300 pages delivered last year in the Chronicles was a real bargain. No where could you get so much genealogical information for only $15.00. This year we begin with a bargain. Along with your regular issue comes a Special Edition.

TAX EXEMPT STATUS FOR THE EFA: Discussions at Conf. '91 in Estes Park: have resulted in action. By the time you receive this issue final approval by the IRS for tax exempt status for the EFA should be in hand. Charlotte Marshall, with help from Nancy Eller, Sec./Treas., took up the matter, used her own lawyer to work out the details, and submitted an application to the IRS in the first half of January, 1992. This means that if IRS approves the application contributions to the EFA in the future will be tax deductible.

TREASURER'S REPORT: See the 3-page report in the Special Edition prepared by EFA's new Sec./Treas. Nancy Eller. The report is yet to be audited, hopefully by May, but members can be assured that funds are carefully guarded and full accounting will always be made known to the membership.

AN ELLER ARCHIVE IS IN THE FUTURE? Discussed at Estes Park was the need for selection of a library or institution where Eller- genealogy, family history, books, pictures and other memorabilia would be maintained by professional archivists and made available to researchers and future descendants. Preliminary work has begun. Members should begin to think about what they have in their possession that might be placed in the Archives. Much material has already been compiled and accumulated in the past five years that should go into an archives If the EFA persists into the future, a time will come when the history of Ellers and their, descendants will be as fully documented as any other, family.

EFA SPECIAL AWARD FOR SERVICE. See p. 70 . We all like to have out- work appreciated but my work with the EFA has brought me such satisfaction that nothing more was expected. I prefer to accept this award as a symbol of what can be accomplished when a few dedicated people share common and worthwhile goals and are willing to work cooperatively. Nothing could have been accomplished without the ready response so many have given to the support of the EFA and its goals. I share this award with each member of the EFA. Nothing would have been possible without your help .... Thanks!.....JGE.



ELLER CHRONICLES   Feb. 1992 Page i

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT

Happy New Year!

Greetings from Colorful Colorado. It's hard to believe that it's Chronicles time again. Gerald probably has been working on input to the next issue since the day he mailed the November issue for printing and mailing.

In the event you overlooked my notice in the November issue, I would like to reiterate:


Needed:
Spare copies of the Reprint. I have three people, so far, waiting for what is becoming a very scarce item.



Some people who have the 1957 red book of Hook's as well as the blue Reprint said they'd be willing to give up their copy of the Reprint, Volume I. Absolutely not! That would defeat my hoped for overall goal of having on your bookshelves 3 or 4 more volumes of Eller genealogy. We now have Volume I in a beautiful blue and gold presentation, one of several I trust, will set side by side full of the genealogy of yours and hundreds of others and associated families. It is my sincere desire to influence other authors of Eller genealogy such as the Jacob Eller line, the Henry Eller, brother of George Michael, the work of David G. Eller and others, to maintain the same shelf presentation as Volume I, hopefully continuing with the blue cover and gold printing and with a similar format of binding printing including volume numbering.

From our Conf '91 General Meeting it was determined that we need several active committees working to fulfill the goals of the EFA. Due to my own limited time restraints I would like to defer that until the May issue. However, there is one effort that I feel is very important to bring before you in this issue. At Conf '91 in one of my presentations I projected the word HELP onto a screen which I'd like to repeat now for the entire membership:

HELP

This preceded my presentation on future volumes of genealogy, particularly Volume II. This will be a monumental effort that will require at least two committees, as I see it:

  1. 1. A book committee


  2. 2. A committee or task force to gather and compile data

Do you realize that there were at least, five Ellers that hit these shores around 1740 and that there is only one book for the intervening 250 years of prolific progeny?? That is amazing and at the same time disappointing. We can change that right now within our young and timely organization of 200 interested members.



ELLER CHRONICLES   Feb. 1992 Page ii

I am open to any recommendations and suggestions for I know there are a number of experienced genealogists in our organization. With your approval I would like to oversee the entire project in concert with several known genealogy and publication experts. I will need 2 or 3 chairpersons, one for the book committee and two for the gathering committee.

Book Committee

This group would consist of a chairperson and at least 4 or 5 other people and would be responsible for working out details to bring to the membership for approval:


Gathering and Compiling Committee

isualize this committee consisting of two (2) chairpersons and 10 or 15 others, correspondents, typists computer and Wang operators along with a host of compilers.

surely must be aware how committed I am for many reasons to lay aside Volume I now, the Reprint, and begin to make plans for our next near term venture, Volume II. This volume will, as I have stated .many times, extend the genealogy of that which is in the Reprint. As an example, my own family will fill about 8 pages. There is nothing in the Reprint beyond my grandfather. He only had two sons but those two have resulted in 8 pages of genealogy. One person -eight pages. Think of the possibilities!

is very important to proceed now with gathering genealogy for there appears to be great interest to do so, there is virtually a limitless quantity of genealogy, narrative and photos available to fill at least one volume. And, not a pleasant thought, we are not getting any younger. I've already received a considerable amount, not only in finished pamphlets and books but also loose family group sheets. It represents an assurance that much, much more exists out there.

intend to advertise in publications of various genealogical societies concerning the fact that we, the EFA, are proceeding on this venture that will lead to other volumes of Eller genealogy. Several societies know about us already and have copies of the Reprint. I feel certain that other volumes are possible, with information being received on Christian Eller, Henry Eller, Jacob the Immigrant, ad infinitum,

this end I have prepared a questionnaire to find those people who are willing to contribute their time in a variety of ways. In almost all of the categories I can contribute all the information I've gathered the last several years.


ELLER CHRONICLES   Feb. 1992 Page iii

omissions and cross-references

s is one of the most important side efforts that must be performed. We have definite plans to gather and compile as much data as possible to correct errors and omissions in Hook's book. Equally important is the need to cross-reference, between the red 1957 book, the blue Reprint and new volumes, the new genealogy that extends that which is in previous books, as well as actually insert in the red and blue books minor corrections and additions.

my Conf '91 presentation �The Nebraska Ellers� elsewhere in this issue that discusses that very subject.

Archives

Please note on page 428 of the Reprint the reference to a 37 page booklet written by J. W. Eller in 1918 about the descendents of Christian Eller. I had the treat of talking with a very bubbly and enthusiastic lady in Indiana recently who has one of the original books, a copy of which will be made available f the EFA archives. Our archives material is growing with every passing year. Just a month ago I acquired a copy of Hook's 1925 green book 'James Hook and Virginia Eller's donated for our archives by Louise Coolidge of McCook, NE. For those who were at the Conf '91, Sandee Watson, the pianist at our Saturday night banquet is the daughter of Louise.

Archives? Yes! The EFA will have an archives library, something that I will talk more about in the May Chronicles.

As an aside

Let me put on my Chamber of Commerce hat for a moment. So many people, outside a radius of 500 miles of Denver, are aware of Colorado's weather via TV, They think we get buried by every snowstorm that comes along. Actually Denver (and Lakewood) are in the foothills and have a comparatively mild climate. What the country wants to hear is how much snow has fallen on the ski slopes - and that's what they hear. When 24" of that good stuff falls in Colorado, chances are it is usually in the mountains, on the ski slopes but not as much in Denver. Oh, we can get dumped on. We've had our 24" snows but luckily we are blessed with the wonderful chinook winds that visit the front range from Colorado north to Calgary, Alta that can raise temperatures from below to above freezing in a matter of hours and take most of that 24" snowfall fairly quickly,

Till next time
Regards,
Bill Eller, Pres. EFA





ELLER CHRONICLES   Feb. 1992 Page iv

QUESTIONNAIRE

Regarding Future Volumes

This questionnaire will definitely determine whether the interest is there and whether we should proceed with active work on Volume II.


This is most of the requirements to set up a group that can successfully produce much needed books for publication. However, other items or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Please remove this questionnaire from your Chronicles and mail it to me with questions and suggestions.

From:Mail Questionnaire to:

A. William Eller
370 Upham St.
Lakewood, CO 80226-1625
name
Address

Phone




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